MISS EXILIA JUTRAS (1865-1881)
She was born in St. Zephirin, May 13, 1865. His adolescence was fought with her parents, two brothers and Zéphirin Hormisdas and her sister Celina. Today you can visit the family house, built by his father in 1855, the Village Québécois d'Antan Drummondville. This is Exibit No. 13, House B Jutras. It serves as a shop and residence at the apothecary. His studies ended in a rather unexpected. One day she came home from school, barefoot as she liked to remind us, her father asked her to go "s'endimancher" and stand at the show. Very intrigued, it was far from suspecting that she would live in the moment that would decide the fate of his young life. Indeed, Mr. Alberic Blanchette solicited the honor of attending the "good night" on Thursdays and Sundays. He had noticed, he said, during a visit she made to relatives of St. Bridget. Thus, fifteen and a half years qu'Exilia passed from adolescence to adulthood. She told me not to be returned to the same school for the news to his companions.
ALBERIC BLANCHETTE MRS (1881-1898)
After his marriage, October 18, 1881, she lived with her St. Brigid's husband, she was sixteen and twenty-two years Alberic. They were both very young but as she said in that time, it does not pose too many questions. From this union were born eleven children, four died in infancy. On 11 November 1898, Exilia lost her husband in an accident. Besides being a farmer, he was a gamekeeper and is browsing the timber, St. Joachim, he was hit by a shot put as a bear trap. He still managed to crawl to the road from the edge of the wood. It was the same path that the postilion for his daily walk. He discovered Alberic already very weak and just in time to collect his last desire: to fulfill his promise to sing a High Mass in honor of St. Anthony of Padua, he was found alive. Unfortunately, he was already dead when rescuers arrived. My grandmother was alone, thirty-three, with seven children aged two to sixteen.
a saying that tells us the misfortune of one is the happiness of others. This was perhaps true for my grandmother. When she attended the funeral of Anna Lupien wife of Louis Girard In June 1900, she declared emphatically out of the church to the person who accompanied him, that man, "I'll marry." And indeed, September 16, 1901, she remarried in that industrial co-owner since 1883, the sawmill "Girard and Lupien" St. Bridget. Her older son already working in this mill. Exilia So that takes a fresh start but this time with Louis, his seven children and three children Blanchette Lupien-Girard's second mari.MME Louis Girard (1901-1918) Seven children were born to this union two daughters survive. Bertha, my mother, aged 91 years and Juliet died, March 26, 1997 at the age of 91 years and 11 months.
course, I never knew my grandmother in that time, but Bertha confirms me that she had to show great energy and skill to exercise firm control over his children to succeed harmonizing family life and create the spirit of harmony that prevailed in the house. We need only recall his son's marriage with Hortense Girard Alberic Blanchette, daughter of Louis Girard. The children of one or the other designated them as "dad" and mom. It was the same for parents or Lupien Blanchette, they were considered as uncle, aunt, cousin or cousin. When my mother, Berthe, spoke of the partner and brother of her father spoke of "my uncle Philippe Lupien. When we spoke to Mrs. Arthur Philippe Pinard daughter she spoke of "his cousin, Yvonne. Exilia was well supported for the good performance of the house, sewing and gardening. Some time, there were sixteen engaged in sawmill; not surprising that her cakes, cookies and pies are also monitoring réputés.Elle education and instruction of his daughters and those who had the opportunity They frequented the convent of the Presentation of Drummondville. Anita Christine and Berthe, obtained their high school teacher. The boys, through their work at a sawmill, they helped their stepfather to grow family wealth. Given his large family, my grandmother developed talents as a healer and more than once, I resorted to his famous "Feather cure" (cure its manufacture), it applied with a feather of a rooster and that cured the notches in the hands, feet or knees and even cold sores. A miracle cure that were added to the friction red liniment to relieve excess fever, sulfur mixed with molasses to cleanse the bowel, poultices of flaxseed or mustard, potions soothing painkiller.Elle could have run for many years to come a peaceful existence, fate decided otherwise. Except Henry, seniors were married and her husband, then sixty-seven, leaving his business to St. Bridget went to live at St. Felix de Kingsey. Louis Girard owned an undivided half of land lot numbered. 13-B, 14 and 15-A. ninth Township Kinsey. Already, in recent years Adolphe, his family and Henry lived there. These properties were located six miles Village, 9th. Is Louis wanted to install a sawmill there? Maybe. His son operated woodlots of St. Felix and the wood was transported to St. Bridget.
One Saturday, Louis was crushed by the water wheel mill and loaded on a car he was removed from his daughter Martha, wife of Desire Dionne of St. Brigid. He died on Monday night a little after midnight, August 13, 1918. For the second time in just under twenty years old, my grandmother lost, as she said, the father of her children and for a second time as he was absent from the accident site was already installed temporarily with his family in the house of Adolphus at St. Felix.
BÉLIVEAU MRS BENJAMIN (1919 -1942)
In 1918, there was no question of automobile, electricity, telephone and rarely even fewer social service. People had to cope with the help of parents, neighbors and friends.
Exilia still found solace after his misfortunes lorsqu'Hormisdas, his brother, brought her daughters to St. Zéphirin where she lived until her remarriage.
Shortly after his return to his home parish, she made the acquaintance of someone who would become his third companion, Benjamin Beliveau, whom she married Dec. 13, 1919. Benjamin, a widower with six adult children, lived in Baie-du-Febvre. Who makes
husband takes country, so she moved in rank Bay said ranking of the "Land Burned." And a second chance, fate will bring one of her children than her new husband. This time, his daughter who married Omer Blanchette Floriane Beliveau January 24, 1921. When Mr. Beliveau decided to sell his property to his son Ovila, they came to settle on a small farm at the entrance of the village of St. Perpetua, circa 1921-1922.
Probably for reasons of health, "Grandpa Beliveau," shortly before his death, returned to live with his son Ovila. For Exilia was his sixth move. She had known other. The death of her third husband came May 14, 1942. After the funeral, my grandmother chose to come and live permanently with her daughter Bertha and Arthur St. Perpetua, she was in her seventh and last move.
MS Widow BÉLIVEAU BENJAMIN (1942-1948)
When we took up residence in my grandmother's old seventy-seven years, was still alert, she had lost none of its authoritarian character and she enjoyed good health, acute hearing and memory still faithful.
She loved life and surrounded by our family, she was well served by the comings and goings constant caused by the trade of my father. I have often heard arguing and stand up to his son Arthur when there were differences of opinion. She did not bother to correct the behavior and table manners of the "hired men" of my father tolerated no vulgar expression or word in his presence. The word "retirement" do not in her vocabulary, she participated in housework, thus alleviating the heavy burden of my mother. It also brought to parents, daily support to our education, very strict, she always watched our good manners whether at church, at the table, or while reciting the rosary as a family.
However, disagreements arose about the discipline to apply to children. He came to my knowledge, they sulked about it. Bertha told Exilia, by respecting it anyway, "I have to deal with Arthur is enough. Let me take care of my children. You, you did what you wanted with yours, it's now my turn. "Grandma was going to spend a few days with another of his daughters. When he returned, everything was back to normal.
I have often noticed his great delicacy of his talk in a positive manner always putting in their qualities, the same excuse. It is also, with great respect, she told us about her husbands, and designated by the title of Sir. This language reflected the esteem she was wearing and their pride in having been married, in his words, to "Gentlemen of men." My curiosity prompted me one day wanting to know which of her three husbands she loved the most. I loved them all, "she said, but in different ways, each possessed of good qualities. Then she added with a mocking smile, you know, Mr. Blanchette was younger.
Friends and relatives came to visit often teased about the desirability of a fourth union, his repartee does not represent or disprove such a possibility. I was still intrigued by his frequent visits to his "old" family doctor that required him to travel regularly to Drummondville. His doctor him who said: "Ms. Beliveau, you should marry, you're in great shape." She assured him ready. He deciphered the message? I think she would have made a hasty decision if he had proposed marriage. She had full confidence in him and he greatly admired.
As we lived in the countryside in winter, we had recourse to the doctor in Saint-Léonard to respond to emergencies. One morning in February 1943, my brother Bertrand was a boarder at the Nicolet Seminary, my father and committed parties deliver meat in Drummondville, were not returned yesterday. I due to 4 to 30 pm train (alone) and after about 7 h 30, harnessed the horse and go to Saint-Leonard (5000) Dr. Dugré search for my grandmother who was ill. After visiting the doctor, I drove her home. On my return, I had to cross the tracks. The horse became frightened when he heard the train whistle and I found myself in the snow with the car overturned. Employees of the locomotive helped me to raise the "Catherine" and I could return safely home. Naturally, I explained why I was late for school and the teacher, Madeleine Mathieu, was very understanding and congratulated me for having traveled 20 miles over roads impassable to help my grandmother.
Today I consider myself privileged to have lived for six years in the privacy of this good grandmother. I can still see the glimmers of sadness and joy in her eyes from the storytelling of a past that seemed so close yet. But the memory of the trip she made with my parents was the Abitibi later, she told us on numerous occasions. In 1942, my father owned a 1940 Ford car, very comfortable. It was still a great adventure to go for a hike in two weeks a thousand miles round trip to visit Aunt Alphaïde and his family established in Val-d'Or.
In return, the fatigue from the long journey has not diminished his enthusiasm and it is with great emotion that we all recounted the events during this trip. It was surely one of her great joys that illuminated the last years of his life.
I wish to inherit his hair abundant nature decided otherwise. However, the principles of life that I have inherited largely compensated for my lack of nerve and allowed me to have "more front" to get into business are sometimes considered reckless. For cons, I can proudly say that I inherited my grandmother's love of family and the public's taste for travel, his courage and his dedication and his ability to defend his opinions and to accept his point of view.
When I was elected Chairman of games in my college, she was very proud of the success of his grand-son, (so it was for my brothers and sisters). The following year, in 1948, I undertook, at seventeen years, an election campaign as a young orator. Although interested in politics at the highest point, his health no longer allowed him to travel frequently. At the beginning of my political career, I had not the joy of being welcomed by my dear old grandmother that I like very much.
During the last months of her life, she was taken from a serious illness when she was visiting Aunt Christine (Note that Christine Girard was born the daughter of first marriage of her second husband.) So With the approval of her husband Gilles Ally and their children, they decided to keep their residence claiming that my mother Bertha was pregnant for the 16th time. Thus, it is there, although surrounded by his family, she left for a better world those whom she loved. She certainly received the reward promised by God to men and women of good will. "When you give food to the hungry ... clothe the naked ... give to drink ... What you do to the least of these my brethren, is to me that you do "" That's what she has done throughout his life!
It was exhibited at the residence of Arthur and Bertha, now my property. It was customary to see the dead day and night to recite the rosary every hour. For two days, dozens of people came to collect the remains, in what was my office when I was deputy minister in Ottawa and Quebec City. Young, I often said to my grandmother: "There are enough events in your life to write a novel." She replied: "You shall write you." I think, now, make a portion of your order Grandma!
